Mr Sunny’s Trip to Florida- Theme Parks or Beaches?

With the abundance of Spring sunshine this year in London, I’ve really been thinking about my next trip to Florida, my home state. I made it there a few times in 2014, and my last trip was this past January.

What would really mean the most to me is having Mr. Sunny join me next time. He has never made a trip to Florida. He did spend a year living in California in his early twenties, but ironically ‘Mr Sunny’ has yet to step foot in the sunshine state.

Although I am super excited to show him the state I call home, I am also anxious because it’s a lot of pressure!

How do I create the perfect itinerary for his first trip to Florida?

Of course we will definitely spend time at my mother’s new house in Daytona Beach. Not only would we spend quality time visiting her but also Mr. Sunny could meet many of my friends from elementary, middle and high school.

However, I am thinking about spending some time in Orlando showing Mr. Sunny around the theme park town that’s central to everything in the state. With so many cheap flights to the United States, this trip to Florida is now even more enticing.

I would really like to surprise Mr. Sunny with the ticket and itinerary, so I need your help.

These are the ideas I have so far:

Trip to Florida #1:

– Arrive to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and take a shuttle to a hotel that is part of a theme park resort.
– Stay three days in Orlando.
– Spend two of those days at theme parks.
– Spend one day shopping in the malls and outlet malls so Mr. Sunny can stock up on cheap trainers and jeans.
– Rent a car and drive the short trip 60 miles to Daytona Beach.
– Stay on the beach for a week and then return to London via Orlando.

What do you think of this, Sunny friends? Is two days enough time at Orlando theme parks? If you are from London and have never made a trip to Florida, would you be excited about this itinerary?

Even though I never feature pictures of Mr. Sunny, you know from reading the blog that he loves beer. In fact, that’s pretty much his favourite thing ever. I really think that he would just love chillin’ at beach bars and sipping cold beer while enjoying the Atlantic Ocean breeze. But, he also loves rides and roller coasters, like me.

I am really torn about how to make his first trip to Florida extra special!

Another option would be for us to rent a car in Orlando and drive to the Sarasota area. I’ve always told Mr. Sunny that my plans are for us to retire and live on Siesta Key. It’s continuously voted one of the best beaches in America, and anyone who has been there to see its silky, white sand knows why.

Trip to Florida #2:

– Arrive to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and stay the evening in O-town.
– Spend one day shopping and then travel to the Gulf Coast.
– Stay two days in Siesta Key.
– Drive three hours to Daytona Beach.
– Stay on the beach for a week and return to London via Orlando.

So, should we skip theme parks and just hit a beach on each coast? If you had a personal tour guide for your first trip to Florida, what would you hope is planned for you?

I’m really looking forward to your help so please leave your experiences and suggestions below in the comments.

I just found your blog via Twitter. I love Florida and living in (not so sunny) Scotland I too often dream of my next trip, in fact we just started planning our next trip too (I even blogged about it this week-spooky). I loved Sarasota and that area so I would definitely explore there. If your partner loves beer why not plan in a visit to “The World” and drink around the world at Epcot? There are some great beers to try there. Tom from Disney Tourist Blog has a lot of posts on it if you check his blog out. We honeymooned at Disney last September so we are (obviously) huge fans! Have an amazing time!